The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-06-11


the pauper labor of Europe.
To prevent this invasion of our market
protection suggested an increase of the
tariff to horizontal 100 per cent upon
wooden gOOds. Ii was attempted, but the
wool grower was there demanding an in.
crease OF tariff on wool In return for his
vote TO Increase II upon woolens. The iron
men, the chemical makers, and, 10! ali the
protected industries we're there, demand.
Ing q scientific revision that Is, each
should get as much as 1t gave; In other
words, that each should get fair division
OF the swag. Anything short of this would
be unscientiflc," and, OF course, no we'll
regulated protectionist could be induced TO
support 1t. The wooden manufacturers
found that they must give even more than
they would receive, and like Don Piatt's
Ohio farming, he found the duty on his
shears equalled the tariff profits on his wool.
The scheme was abandoned, as a 100 per
duty Is no more impeachment TO i'm portation
than 10 per cent, If the cost OF the do.
nestle product Is thereby increased by the
amount of the duty, as the foreigner, paw
Ing the duty, at once rel mburses himself
out Of the price.
Now 1t Is evident that the increased cost
of the finished product, caused by tariff
taxation upon everything that enters the
manufacture of woolens, alone prevents us
competing with the English manufacturer
in the open market. With absolute free
trade, the raw material being cheaper here
when measured by what II produces being
the cheapest of earth, We would be enabled
to manufacture woolens for the world. Let
. ha nil, <hn
woolens drawback equal to the tariff tax
alton upon the exported article, and we
would undersell the world In the open
market An illustration of this, pat in point,
is at hand.
BY the law of 1881 the exporter of re.
fined sugar was given a drawback from the
government of the amount paid in duty
upon the raw material. Our Eastern re-
tiners, being relieved of tariff taxation up
on the raw material, at once began to man
ufacture for expectation. In 1882 we ex-
ported 100000 lbs; in 1888, 27,000,000;
in 1884, 16,0O0,000; In 1885, $4,000, 900;
and in 1886 we exported 10000, 600 lbs.
refined sugar, and it found ready sale in
the streets of London. If relieving the raw
material from tariff taxation enabled Am
erican labor to refine sugars not only for
America, but for England also, would II
render our labor less able to compete with
the foreigner if the industry was sill
further relieved of the tariff upon the ma
terial used in building the refineries them
selves-upon their machinery, fuel, and
everything else that enters the industry:
That is, in the absence of all tariff, under
absolute free trade would we not refine
even more than we do now?
Ten years ago we imported leather and
exported none, because raw hides bore a
duty of 10 per cent. About 1915 this duty
was repealed and raw hides have since
been admitted free. The removal of the
tariff liberated American labor, and 1t be-
gan at once making all our leather. Not
only that, but when thus partially relieved
of tariff taxation, our labor began making
leather for the "pauper.' foreigner, and un.
derselling him in his own market. Thus
last year we exported 1862, 53i worth of 4
American made leather; and we exported
it because the duty of 10 per cent was re-
moved from raw hides. If the duty was /
removed from everything else that enters
the tanning industry, would it render our i
labor less able to compete with the fore
gner? So long as the slightest tariff taxa
ion remains, to that extent American labor
will be handicapped In the great race of
he nations for industrial supremacy.
We make our own rubber and gutta per
cha goods, and export the surplus to the
'paupers." We are enabled TO do this be-
cause our raw rubber is admitted free.
Last year we imported twelve million dol
ars worth of raw rubber. Now, had we
eved duty of so per cent upon raw rub
Der, as we do upon raw wool, 1t would have
confined the product to our own market, as
t does our woOlens. The finished goods
would have cost us six millions more be-
,ause of duty, which would have prevented
Is selling in any open market. The same
alse pretence would have been urged, as
s given for our inability to compete in
)ther manufactures, that 1t was because
,ur high priced American labor could no:
compete with pauper labor without pau
,erizing itself, whereas the six million ex-
ra cost, because of tariff taxation, would
lave prevented 1t. If all tariff taXatiOn
we're removed, under absolute free trade,
,ur labor being so much cheaper than the
abOr of other countries, we. would make
'ubber goods for the world
We export between two and three mil
ions per annum of household furniture Ii
oreign labor was cheaper than ours the
oreigner would buy our lumber and work
t up himself If we could sell the furni-
ure for Is per cent less, we could SO under,
ell the world that we would export 500 per
ent more of it than we now do. Take the
ariff off from everything that enters into
he building of the factory, and off from
that enters 1t; also of fran the
aw material-the nails, tools, screws, CLUES,
arnishes, paints, &c, &c, and We could
it 10 per cent cheaper. This
happened product would increase the sales
home multiply the expectation, and ma.
erially increase the demand for labor to
roduce it. And so we might travel the
ull round of our manufactures; and We
,ill find that wherever we cannot export
nd compete with other countries II is be-
ause of the tariff. Whenever we do, II is
ecause of free raw material, or where the
hief cost of the manufactured article con-
lists of American labor. Under absolute
rec trade we would manufacture for the
,orld. No nation equals America in the
1ventive genius and mechanical aptitude
her people. ct after having taxed our
elves thousands of millions 10 build up
We exported but about hfty
lillions of manufactures last year. Great
ritain, with population of one-h half our
lumber, exported thousand millions. She
Stimulates industry by liberating it; we by
king it. Which is wisest? Had she
laced tariff tax of so per cent npon her